By John Pignatore, RHI, CCI



This past week, a news source reported on a father in Richmond who had lowered his children to safety from a bedroom window during a house fire. The early warning came from the smoke detector. The Richmond father saved his life and his family.


1. Fire drills should be conducted with your family

2. Create an escape plan and rehearse 4x a year - it only takes a minute.

3. Plan your escape : Draw a floor plan of your home, show two ways out of each room.

4. Law requires that a bedroom window be operable and easily opened. If security rails are installed, they should be equipped with a quick release. All members of family should be able to release the lock.

5. Agree on a meeting place, once you are outside, stay out. Never return back inside a burning building.

6. Close the door behind you as you escape, to slow the spread of fires and smoke.

7. Always call the fire department from a neighbors house.

8. If you have to escape through smoke, crawl then keeping your head one to two feet above the floor.

9. Test doors and spaces with the back of your hand. If the door is warm, try another escape route.

10. If you live in an apartment, practice your building evacuation plan. If you hear the alarm, leave immediately.

11. Use stairs, never use an elevator during a fire.

12. Know the location of all building exits and fire alarms. If the exit is blocked, report the problem to your building manager.

13. Smoke alarms save lives. Test your alarm once a month using "can smoke" or some other form of "light smoke" producing device.

14. Replace alarm batteries once a year.

15. Replace any alarm that is more than 10 years old.

16. Are your fire extinguishers fully charged and in accessible locations?

17. Install a smoke detector in all sleeping areas and a carbon monoxide detector on each floor level.

18. Do not store any flammable items on top of your gas water heater.

19. Do you have adequate electrical circuits for heat producing appliances?

20. Are space heaters at least 3 feet from walls and anything else that can burn?

Property Inspection Specialist is a full service residential and commercial property inspection company. We conduct presale and prelisting inspections in the Richmond, Tricities and surrounding counties.


John Pignatore, RHI, CCI
843-293-2119
john@realestateinspectionssc.com
Letuschk4u@yahoo.com


Property Inspection Specialist
3797C Cape Landing Circle
Myrtle Beach SC 29588


RHI = Registered House Inspector
CCI = Certified Construction Inspector